Thursday, September 26, 2013ESPN 300 DE Brown commits to Georgia
By Gerry Hamilton and Craig Haubert

The Georgia Bulldogs scored big on the field two weeks ago by beating South Carolina. They scored in recruiting on Thursday by picking up a commitment from ESPN 300 prospect Keyon Brown (Wauchula, Fla./Hardee County).

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound defensive end, who is being recruited to play outside linebacker in Georgia’s 3-4 scheme, said last weekend's official visit to Athens, Ga., put the Bulldogs over the top.

“I got there Friday and went out to dinner with Coach [Todd] Grantham. Saturday I hung out with the players and stuff after the game, and then Sunday morning went to eat with Coach [Mark] Richt and his family," Brown said. "Coach Richt is a good, Christian man. He’s honest. He’s not just going to say things for the sake of saying them. He’s not going to tell you want you want to hear. He’s going to be honest.”

Brown, the No. 210-ranked prospect in the ESPN 300, said Georgia felt like home.

“Georgia has a very good coaching staff, and it reminds me of home. It’s a great environment and it’s a great place,” he said.

Brown picked Georgia over Miami and Florida State due in large part to getting the chance to play on the edge as a pass-rushing linebacker in the Bulldogs' 3-4 scheme.

“Coach Grantham told me if I was to go there, they would bring me off the edge as a pass rusher. Miami and Florida State recruited me as a defensive end,” he said.

The four-star prospect has the blessing of his parents to venture more than 500 miles from home for the next four to five years.

“My mom and dad went on the visit to Georgia with me. They liked it, too, and support me wherever I want to go,” Brown said.

Rated the No. 19 defensive end prospect in the 2014 class, Brown is a bit of a 'tweener who should fit well at outside linebacker in the Bulldogs' scheme. He’ll need to develop at the position and learn to better maximize the natural tools he has, but he possesses good athleticism. His strength at this stage is getting after the quarterback, and he could initially contribute best as a pass rusher. While he needs more polish, he shows flashes of developing into a tough run defender as well. Brown’s contributions might be limited initially, but he has upside to develop into a very good player in Georgia’s defense.

Brown is the 17th pledge for Georgia, which is currently No. 5 in the RecruitingNation class rankings. He joins Detric Dukes (Tucker, Ga./Tucker) as linebacker prospects committed in the Class of 2014.

Brown is also the fifth Florida prospect to commit to Georgia in the 2014 class. The Bulldogs signed six players from the Sunshine State in 2013.

Georgia will host five-star inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan (Hinesville, Ga./Liberty County) this weekend as he begins an official visit process that also includes trips to Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama and Florida.